131. The Weirdest Chapter in Middle-earth (with dancing bears!?) : The Hobbit #19
With talking animals, animals serving food and dancing bears, this may just be the oddest chapter in all of Middle-earth! It kinda feels like it just doesn’t fit. We explore why the animals walk and t...
18 Feb 20251h 4min
130. Where did Beorn Originate (and what was Tolkien’s inspiration)? : The Hobbit #18
Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves are dropped off on the Carrock, and find themselves in the company of a man (so-to-speak) who rather doesn’t like dwarves–but who loves a good story! This week we look ...
4 Feb 20250s
129. Tolkien Loved Eagles (too much?) : The Hobbit #17
Stuck in trees with fire at their heels, the company find themselves surround by intelligent wolves and taunting orcs… but the eagles notice the commotion and decide to save Gandalf and his friends. T...
21 Jan 202552min
A Song of Ice and Fire
Life took an unexpected turn this week with the fires in southern California.
15 Jan 20250s
128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16
Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty. This is the chapter where Bilbo finally comes into his own as a Burglar–he’s be...
7 Jan 202540min
Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem
This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Here’s how that happened! In 2013, Tolkien scholars Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull ...
25 Des 20240s
127. Where War of the Rohirrim went Wrong – In Depth Review
We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago–particularly since it was attached to Philippa Boyen, screenwriter of the original trilogy. So, Michael and I went out this...
24 Des 20241h 9min
126. Why Did Tolkien Change The Hobbit (and what did he change)? : The Hobbit #15
Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change–particularly Bilbo and Gollum’s interaction in chapter 5, “Riddles in the Dark”. But what ...
17 Des 20240s
